1. Field
The present disclosure relates to an outdoor unit for an air conditioner.
1. Background
An air conditioner is an apparatus for maintaining air in a predetermined space at a desired temperature. The air conditioner generally includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator. The air conditioner drives a refrigeration cycle in which compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation processes of a refrigerant are performed, to cool or heat the predetermined space.
When the air conditioner performs a cooling operation, an outdoor heat exchanger provided in an outdoor unit functions as a condenser, and an indoor heat exchanger disposed in an indoor unit functions as an evaporator. To the contrary, when the air conditioner performs a heating operation, the indoor heat exchanger functions as the condenser, and the outdoor heat exchanger functions as the evaporator.
The outdoor unit for the air conditioner generally includes several refrigerant tubes to guide flow of refrigerants between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit. The refrigerant tubes generally consist of a liquid tube through which a liquid refrigerant flows, a low-pressure gas tube through which a low-pressure gas refrigerant flows, and a high-pressure gas tube through which a high-pressure gas refrigerant flows.
The refrigerant tubes may include service valves capable of selectively opening/closing the respective refrigerant tubes in repair of the outdoor unit, replacement of a refrigerant tube, or charging of a refrigerant. The service valves may be installed in the liquid tube, the low-pressure gas tube, and the high-pressure gas tube, respectively.
For example, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1371886, filed on Mar. 3, 2014, discloses a supporter structure that supports the plurality of refrigerant tubes or the service valves. The supporter may support the plurality of refrigerant tubes or the service valves such that installation heights or lateral positions of the liquid tube, the low-pressure gas tube, and the high-pressure gas tube are different from each other, or such that installation heights or lateral positions of the service valves installed in the respective refrigerant tubes are different from each other.
According to this configuration, interference caused by adjacent refrigerant tubes or service valves could be prevented in replacement or repair of the plurality of refrigerant tubes or in an operation of the service valves. However, the outdoor unit was configured such that the shape or arrangement of a plurality of connection tubes extending from the service valves to a downside of a base of the outdoor unit. Therefore, if the installation direction of the outdoor unit is changed, installation of the plurality of connection tubes is difficult, and interference occurs due to adjacent connection tubes in a service operation.